Why?

To get an idea of what can be done and what has been done, you’ll be researching other artists’ potfolio sites and making notes of which ones you are drawn to and why.

Response

This week you won’t be writing a response. Instead you will give a 5-minute oral response in front of the class.

• Each student presents 3 examples of portfolio sites they admire and then walks through what stands out to them about the site (not just the artwork) including the code that makes it possible (look under the hood and show the class the code). You can discuss the code, the typography, layout, image-size, navigation, site structure, or other aspects.
• Treat this as a serious presentation. Don’t just find three sites and then improvise in front of the class. Consider what you will show the class, why, and how you will explain it clearly. Practice and time your remarks. Give yourself some notes to follow.
• Make your remarks natural and conversational. Don’t just read from your notes like a script. Use them to give you a framework and direction.
• You don’t need to write up a typical reading response, just put your the URLs for your three sites in the notes field on Learning Suite for the Reading Response so the instructor can bring up the sites on the classroom computer and projector.

Grading

Assignment grades will be based on the following:

Conceptual Concerns (45%)

Student demonstrates evidence that they understand and inventively integrate conceptual concerns and implications of print and web design.

• Excellent: Student demonstrates conversational familiarity with the material—making interesting connections between ideas, readings, and presentations.
• Average: Student is able to recall and recite material, but not do anything interesting with it.
• Below Average: Student struggles to demonstrate a grasp of the material and shows no facility in connecting ideas or new thinking.

Execution (45%)

When executing a project, the student demonstrates a firm grasp of the material, techniques, and software.

• This includes proper spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, grammar and formatting for written assignments and code; and annunciation, confidence and focused arguments for oral assignments.
• Excellent: Student understands modes of writing and presentation including style guides and oral confidence and is able to nimbly employ these tools in their art projects, writing, coding, and speaking.
• Average: Student work shows some stylistic and formatting mistakes by ignoring provided guidance.
• Below Average: Student repeatedly makes the same mistakes and ignores instructor input and suggestions.

Following Instructions (10%)

The student adheres to the guidelines provided for the course and the assignment. If the paper has a particular framework, the student adheres to that framework. If an assignment is to be submitted as a Word doc on Learning Suite, the student does not email the instructor a PDF.

• Excellent: A detail-oriented student who takes instruction and fastidiously executes it within their work.
• Average: A student who misses some details because they didn’t read instructions thoroughly or take proper notes when instructions were given.
• Below Average: Student ignores basic instructions and guidance given for assignments.

On-time Submission

This oral presentation must be completed on the assigned date. If a student is late, missing their slot, but still present before the end of class, they will lose 5 points (out of 100). If a student does not attend class the day of the presentations, they will receive a zero.

Students whwo are ill or incapacitated on the day of the presentations should reach out to the instructor ASAP. If you have dibilitating anxiety around public speaking, talk to the instructor ASAP to make other arrangements. Suitable substitutions can be a Zoom presentation to the instructor or a 750-900-word paper outlining what you would have covered in an oral presentation.

Learning Outcomes Addressed

Design Fundamentals and Processes

Students will be able to implement the steps that guide a designer to effective solutions, apply compositional skills to design problems, and employ fundamentals of 2D design such as grid systems and the basics of typography.

Technical Proficiency

Students will be able to employ the technical fundamentals of print and web design and production.

Professional Practices

Students will be able to employ professional practices in supporting their art through a portfolio website and awareness of professional opportunities for studio artstis to deploy their art skills in commercial contexts.